Page 2
Coach Namir
The disappointment in my father’s eyes hit me harder than I expected it to. I stood before fifteen men, cousins, uncles, grandfathers, and Tyee, who refused to look at me. He wouldn’t even make eye contact.
I had blood gushing from my lip and the corner of my eye was wide open. My knuckles were raw from the peeled and scraped skin around each bone, and I had no shirt, no shoes, just shorts and the last bit of my dignity left. I tried to tell myself I would have done this even if I hadn’t met Maggie but I was having a hard time with that thought. This is for my sister, Maze. This is what I was meant to do. This was always my path. I followed my brother out of respect, not because it was right.
“Your mother has brainwashed you, boy,” Roy said with a shake of his head. Eyes bulging out of his head, he pointed a split bloody nail at me and gritted his teeth at me. The tears in his eyes refused to fall as he smeared his arm across his mouth. “That bitch brainwashed you! YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOUR OWN?!”
“That bitch raised a bitch.” My Uncle Horace spat angrily. “I told you to never lay with her but you did––– ”
“He had to make up for the first one he fucked around with.”
“The problem is this generation coming up! They are getting too influenced by those above! These humans and their weakness for acceptance and their fragility. They forget all about their traditions…their values, their family by trying to be like those who are NOTHING like us! It ain’t his mama that brainwashed him, Roy.”
“It’s that white-haired bitch…He’s laying with her now. My boy done told me.”
I saw the disgust cross Roy’s face but I didn’t move. I didn’t say anything in response. Picking my chin up with the throbbing eye, I dared anyone else to come at me. It was the middle of the night in the middle of the same fields they used to drag my sister. Drew Collins University was way out in the distance, nothing but lights and faded buildings in the shadows of the night. Nothing but the cool breeze of the wind blew and not a single hint of the moon in the otherwise cloudy night sky. My breath was shallow but steady as I tightened my fists and kept a strong stance, not saying anything. I hadn’t said anything except for, I’m out . I disown this pack and family for good .
“Just hurry up and do what the fuck you gotta do,” I said, leaning over to let out a glop of spit towards the ground. I sucked my teeth, turned my neck from side to side to crack the sore bones before staring Roy in the face. Nobody moved since he made his first few swings on me and out of respect, I chose not to fight back. I knew what I was doing so I was going to take this as my punishment on my way out.
“You have nothing to say for yourself?” Earl asked, his brows pinched together as he frowned with his usual grumpy expression. “I’ve known you since you were hanging on yo’ mama’s teat, and this is how you show respect? You’ve been a part of this family since the beginning. Are you prepared to go out on your own…no one will have your back. You will never run with another pack because they will never allow a rogue wolf near their family. You can’t be trusted. You will never see your cousins…your brother…He will no longer acknowledge you…You don’t know what being lonely is until you’ve been removed from the family…and you’re prepared for that? We are family, Caine. FAMILY!” He shouted angrily with a shaky tone of betrayal.
He was hurt. They all were. I know they all had expectations and high hopes for me and this is how I decided to repay them, by removing myself.
“Do you understand what you’re doing by letting all of this go?! You will be alone! For the rest of your life! You will not have anyone to turn to! To represent you! To pick you up, and cheer you on… You will be nothing. You will die by yourself with nothing or nobody to your name! Are you prepared for that?! ”
“You’re betraying your own brother,” another said in complete disgust. “Even if he decided he didn’t want to do this, I could never look at him the same. I could never trust him around me and mine. One of them killed Aria and tried to cover it up like we wouldn’t know…This isn’t the time to let him have the chance to decide if he wants to stay–––”
“You’ll learn to get the fuck over it, Boyd!” Roy snapped as he wiped his mouth again. “Caine, this is the last–––”
“I understand what I’m doing and accept it. I will be shunned by everyone. I know nobody will speak, see, or hear me again as family…I know I’ve chosen to lay with someone that is not…”
I saw Ty visibly shake at the thought of Maggie so I kept quiet out of the last bit of respect I held for him. I knew how this looked, me choosing her over him.
“I accept my fate…Do what you gotta do. If I live, I’m walking away knowing I made the right decision for me and I’m not looking back. If I die, I’m dying knowing I stood on what the fuck I believe in.”
“And what do you believe in?!” Roy shouted angrily. “Huh?! What do you believe in?! THAT BLOODSUCKING BITCH?! YOU THINK WHAT YOU’RE DOING IS PRIDEFUL!? SACRIFICING YOUR FAMILY TO BE WITH HER?! YOU THINK THAT IS SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF?! ”
“I believe the man I am shouldn’t be determined based on who I choose to be with. I believe my sister should have been protected by the same family that did her wrong. The same family that stands before me right now.”
Out of nowhere, Ty yanked his glasses off with a frustrated scream. Slamming them to the ground, he charged towards me with his fist swinging. I heard him scream again, letting the powerful bone connect against mine before falling back to the ground as I took every hit without so much as a defense of my own. With my swollen eyes barely opened, I saw my cousins and uncles on the side watching everything play out. It took power to attack a man to submission. It took strength for that same man not to raise a hand back in defense.
My fists remained balled up at my side, not once raising to my brother or my father who jumped in, dragging my leg down against the ground to his reach. The frustrated tears fell for losing a second son as his brothers had to pull him back, and let Ty handle the rest. My head knocked from one side to the other as he gripped my face. Fingers crowning the corners of my head, and sharp nails digging deep into the skin. He leaned down, showing his row of multiple fangs from top to bottom. He always did have that rare ability to shift any part of his body at any given time. I envied him for it but right now, my brother…my best friend was hurting. I sa w the tears in his eyes because I know he felt blindsided and betrayed.
“I’m going to spare you for obvious fucking reasons,” he threatened in a low voice. “But you and I both know you’re using Maze as an excuse to hide your feelings for that girl.”
“I’m not hiding it,” I muttered, feeling my face throb as blood spat between my teeth and lips. “She’s who I’m supposed to be with…”
Ty’s eyes widened with a flash of fear crossing his gaze as he stared at me. His eyes searched mine with growing panic as he slowly pulled back.
“You don’t…you don’t even fucking see it…The moon…I can see it in your eyes…she’s imprinted on you…You…you don’t…”
“Finish him off, Ty! He’s done talking! Kill him!” Boyd hollered. “You wanna prove you should be pack leader! KILL HIM! Show you loyalty to us!”
My father snapped with a sharp, barking tone to silence him.
“We’ve lost more than enough from this family!” He shouted. “We’re not losing anybody else! Let Namir go! We have bigger problems, Ty! He wants to be on his own, let him! No more money! No house! No coming back to see anybody! Let him go! Our plans for our pack go beyond him and that blood sucking bitch. He wants to fuck the dead, let him. He’s nothing to us anymore.”
Ty stared at me as my eyes slowly wavered back to my uncles, seeing some of them look unsure as they shared glances with one another. They were still divided on the decision. I looked back at Ty, trying to fix my mouth to say something but he leaned in close with his final threat.
“I will make you regret choosing her over me…”
Ty stood up as the tears began to fall before he raised his shoe above my face and stomped down hard. The last thing I remember hearing was the snap of my neck.